Neuroma (schwannoma). Causes, symptoms and signs, diagnosis, treatment. How to treat acoustic neuroma using folk remedies

Neuroma auditory nerve - a benign neoplasm that usually develops in the vestibular part of the auditory nerve. As a rule, it affects people in middle and old age, often provoking. The causes of the development of acoustic neuroma are not reliably known. Presumably the process is influenced by hereditary predisposition.

The disease is diagnosed in 10% of all cases of intracranial neoplasms.

Treatment with folk remedies for neuroma

Folk remedies for acoustic neuroma can be used as an independent therapeutic method or use during radiation therapy. The neoplasm may have small size with mild or absent signs of the disease.

Often in older people due to age and presence concomitant diseases there is no possibility of an operation. By using medicinal herbs It is possible to slow down the growth of the tumor, and in some cases, achieve a reduction in its size.

mistletoe

In the evening, pour two teaspoons of crushed plant shoots (with the top) into two glasses of boiling water and leave in a thermos overnight. Then strain and drink three times a day 20 minutes before meals, drinking two tablespoons in small sips. The course is 23 days, then a week break. This treatment can be repeated for up to four months.

Pour 50 grams of ground plant into 0.5 liters of alcohol, leave for 40 days in a dark place, shaking the container daily. Then strain, squeezing out the remainder. Take 10 grams three times a day 30 minutes before eating. Course 35-40 days. It can be repeated after 15 days.

horse chestnut

Pour 50 grams of horse chestnut into half a liter of vodka and leave in a dark place for 10 days, shaking the container periodically. Strain, squeezing out the remains, and take 10 drops three times a day, diluting them in a small amount of water. The course is 14 days, after a week it can be repeated, doing this for 3 months.

Prince of Siberia

Pour two glasses of boiling water over a teaspoon of crushed dry plant, leave for an hour, strain and drink a tablespoon three times a day after meals. The course of treatment is up to 2 months.

You can prepare a princely tincture by filling a third of a dark glass bottle with dry grass and pouring vodka over it. Leave for 15 days in a dark place, then strain and drink three times a day, diluting 30-40 drops in a small amount of water. The course for tumors is at least three months.

Common Mordovnik

Pour 300 ml of water into a teaspoon of crushed plant seeds, simmer for 15 minutes over low heat, then leave for two hours and strain. Take two tablespoons four times a day after meals. The product helps improve hearing and works well when the tumor process decreases.

Common comfrey

Grind the roots of the plant into powder and mix thoroughly with pork fat in a ratio of 1:5. Place the mixture in an oven preheated to 70 0 C and simmer for five hours. After straining while hot, place in a glass container and seal tightly. Use twice a day locally as a lotion, applying a layer of ointment to compress or parchment paper. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. The course of treatment is a month, the break is 2 weeks.

Before use folk remedies Consultation with your doctor is necessary!

Acoustic neuroma is a neoplasm, most of which is benign, but one should not underestimate the danger that this tumor can pose to the health of the body: as it increases in size, it suppresses the surrounding brain tissue, disrupting their vital functions.

More about neuroma

Neuroma is a tumor of the auditory nerve that develops from the so-called Schwann cells, which form the supporting tissues of the cranial and auditory nerve pathways. These cells got their name from the German physiologist Theodor Schwann, who discovered them. Acoustic neuromas also have other names: acoustic neuromas or vestibular schwannomas.

The tumor process of the auditory nerves primarily disrupts the basic essential functions of these nerve trunks, which consist of transmitting sound impulses to certain brain centers for subsequent processing, which provides us with the ability to hear. In addition, these nerve trunks are also responsible for the functioning vestibular apparatus- a special device that allows us to control the position of the body in space, for example, to stand confidently on our feet. By the way, neuroma often forms precisely on the vestibular segment of the auditory nerve.

Acoustic neuroma - benign tumor, also called acoustic neuroma

Neuromas are not very common - for 10 tumors of the central nervous system There is one acoustic neuroma, and in women these tumors are registered more often than in male patients. Most often, this pathology affects people at the most active age - from 30 to 40 years old, but it practically does not occur in children.

Acoustic neuroma - serious illness, requiring timely diagnosis and treatment

A few words about the causes of neuroma development

Concerning possible reasons development of this pathology, then, unfortunately, today medicine cannot answer this question. Moreover, experts find it difficult to identify probable risk factors leading to the formation of neuroma. In some cases, the development of acoustic neuroma occurs against the background of neurofibromatosis, a disease of a genetic nature.

Neurofibromatosis is characterized by the formation of neurofibromas - benign neoplasms in various segments of the central nervous system (CNS), including the auditory nerve. So, if you have a family history of neurofibromatosis, you are likely to be at increased risk.

Neuroma that occurs against the background of neurofibromatosis usually develops on both sides.

Symptoms of the disease

As already mentioned, a tumor that has arisen on the auditory nerve, as it develops, increasingly inhibits its most important functions. It should be noted that this neoplasm grows slowly and over a period of long period– up to several years. All this time it may not reveal itself in any way. Then, as compression of the nerve trunk increases, a characteristic symptomatic picture begins to develop:

a decrease in hearing level on the side where the tumor has formed, which can either increase gradually or occur quite abruptly;
ringing and extraneous noise in the affected ear;
loss of coordination, uncertainty in movements, dizziness;
involuntary eye movements (nystagmus);
pain or even paralysis (paresis) of the facial (trigeminal) nerve, starting with numbness and tingling on one side of the face.

Depending on the size of the tumor, doctors distinguish three stages of the disease:

The tumor does not exceed 2-2.5 centimeters in diameter;
Reaches the size of a walnut;
It is the size of a chicken egg.

As a rule, symptoms increase in direct proportion to the increase in size (stage) of the tumor, however, in some cases, a small neuroma can be located in such a way that it will put pressure on the surrounding tissues, forming a characteristic symptomatic picture.

It should be remembered that a neuroma may not reveal itself for a long time.

Diagnostics

For the most accurate diagnosis diseases today, specialists have the opportunity to use a whole arsenal of tools that allow them to choose the best way treatment. The following methods are used to diagnose neuroma:

computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
X-ray examination;
electronystagmography (fixation involuntary movements eyeballs);
drawing up an audiogram measuring hearing level, conducting hearing tests;
biopsy of tumor tissue.

MRI is one of the ways to diagnose neuroma

Is it possible to cure neuroma without surgery?

It should be noted that doctors are in no hurry to resort to surgical methods treatment of acoustic neuroma, unless there are serious indications. First of all, neurosurgeons prefer long-term observation of the behavior of the tumor, constantly monitoring its growth and the dynamics of the development of symptoms.

Surgical intervention for neuroma is fraught with complications and is accompanied by long-term rehabilitation after surgery.

Most often, doctors prefer observation of the condition of the neuroma and symptomatic therapy to treatment.

Folk remedies

Before talking about folk remedies, it is necessary to emphasize that herbal infusions In no case can they replace full-fledged treatment! They are more aimed at eliminating unwanted symptoms - nausea, headaches, etc.

However, there are several recipes that, according to the statement traditional healers, can help in the treatment of acoustic neuroma. True, these recipes should only be used in addition to the main methods of treatment, and in no way instead of them.

Recipe 1. Pour 50 g of crushed Siberian prince herb with half a liter of strong vodka and leave to infuse in a dark place for 10 days. It is recommended to shake the mixture daily. After the infusion time has passed, strain the mixture and consume 7 drops in a small amount of water three times a day. The course of treatment is three weeks. Then it is necessary to interrupt the treatment for two weeks, and then repeat the course again.

Recipe 2. Take 1 tablespoon each of eucalyptus leaf, marsh cinquefoil, elecampane, juniper, and 2 tablespoons linden color, sweet clover, crushed hawthorn fruits. Mix everything well and add a teaspoon of burdock root. Then pour 1 tablespoon of the resulting mixture into a glass cold water, bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then wrap the broth well and let it brew for a couple of hours, then strain and top up boiled water up to the volume of the glass. You need to take 70 ml of the decoction three times a day, half an hour before meals, for two months.

Treatment with medications

To treat this benign tumor, traditional chemotherapeutic (cytostatic) drugs that kill the tumor are usually used. There are drugs that are infused intravenously, as well as those available in tablet form. Choosing one form or another medicine- the prerogative of the doctor.

In addition, in some cases, the neurosurgeon may decide to use cytostatics during surgery. In this case, special capsules with the drug are introduced into the intracranial space, at the site of the removed tumor. The capsules gradually “melt” to release the medication over a period of time after surgery. This helps prevent relapse of the disease.

Of course, chemotherapy cannot be called too much a pleasant procedure– sometimes it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and hair loss, but for the sake of healing it is worth enduring all this.

Radiation therapy

If the tumor demonstrates rapid growth and at the same time reacts to radio radiation, the arsenal modern medicine There is a method of conducting targeted irradiation of a tumor under the control of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner using high-precision equipment - a gamma knife or a stereotactic frame. This method allows you to preserve the surrounding tissues intact and save the patient from neuroma without the use of traumatic surgery, although this method can also cause side effects such as nausea and paresis trigeminal nerve and hearing loss after some time.

Surgical intervention for acoustic neuroma and rehabilitation

If, in order to preserve the most important functions of the auditory nerve, which we have already discussed above, the doctor has no other choice, he decides to perform surgical intervention. This decision is usually made when the size of the tumor is threatening, when it rapid growth and being dangerously close to the main functional segments of the brain.

Neuroma is usually removed open method, using craniotomy. The operation is performed only under general anesthesia. Modern level development of neurosurgery allows the operating surgeon to make precise, controlled movements using special microsurgical instruments, which significantly reduces the risk of complications for the patient. If the tumor is up to two centimeters in diameter, there is a high chance of completely preserving the patient’s hearing. When operating on a neuroma of significant size, the operations are performed in a more traumatic way with penetration into the intracranial space through the posterior cranial fossa.

Surgical intervention for neuroma is prescribed only if other treatment methods have not helped

Rehabilitation after surgery is quite long - from six months to a year. In the process of rehabilitation, methods are usually used that are designed to help the brain restore temporarily lost functions - memory, analytical and intellectual abilities. To restore motor skills, physiotherapeutic procedures are used - massage, physiotherapy, classes in the pool, electrical treatments.

The most common complication after removal of an acoustic neuroma is damage to the facial (trigeminal) nerve. To restore it, you usually use daily light massage. During the period of restoration of nerve function, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the eye on the affected side - instill moisturizing drops to prevent the eyeball from drying out, and wear glasses or a bandage in windy weather.

Acoustic neuroma – dangerous disease threatening the patient with loss of life important functions. Therefore, it is extremely important to know this pathology “in person” in order to counter it in a timely and adequate manner.

Acoustic neuroma, the symptoms and treatment of which will be discussed in this article, is a disease of a tumor nature.

Neuroma itself is considered one of the most common tumor diseases and, in fact, refers to benign neoplasms. This tumor originates from the so-called Schwann cells, which is why the second name of the disease is traditionally considered “schwannoma”.

Neoplasms of this nature can be observed in various age groups and statistically account for approximately 8% of primary tumors of the cranial cavity. Moreover, most schwannomas develop in the auditory nerve.

Neuroma is a tumor of the auditory nerve in macroscopic form, which is a node with sufficient density, having oval shape and surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue.

Taking the histological structure as a basis, medicine distinguishes three types of neuromas: xanthomatous, angiomatous and epithelioid. All of them, as a rule, do not infiltrate the surrounding tissues and very rarely cause significant compression.

Schwannom transition to malignant form also happens extremely rarely.

Manifestations of acoustic neuroma

Due to the fact that in most cases the tumor grows in size very slowly, signs of acoustic neuroma may not appear for several years after the onset of the disease. However, when the size reaches 1.5 cm and the formation further increases, it begins to give various symptoms. In this case, the exact set of features depends on which areas medulla are subject to compression.

One of the very first signs of the disease are manifestations such as congestion, noise and ringing in the ear. As for hearing, it gradually decreases, but this process occurs extremely slowly, so the patient most often simply does not notice such a symptom.

A clear decrease in hearing, including severe hearing loss and even deafness, are included in the symptoms of acoustic neuroma when the tumor reaches a size of 2-3 cm. In some cases, a person’s hearing disappears suddenly, which is inevitably accompanied by the same sudden deterioration in well-being.

Other components of the symptom complex of the described illness may be dull or aching pain in the face or ear, nystagmus and double vision, balance problems, instability and unsteady gait, problems with salivation, taste and swallowing.

In the presence of a large tumor vestibular problems develop according to the type of crises and are characterized by the appearance of nausea and the development severe vomiting, as well as such intense dizziness that the patient is often unable to remain in an upright position.

The consequences of acoustic neuroma can be expressed in the form of dropsy of the brain. This complication develops when the tumor is significant in size, when it compresses the cerebrospinal fluid outflow tract. Similar condition threatens damage to areas of the brain, including necrosis.

Diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuroma

Usually, the detection of schwannoma of the auditory nerve in the initial stages of development occurs by chance, since there are no symptoms. In more late dates Due to the slow progression of manifestations, diagnosing acoustic neuroma is also difficult.

In order to identify such indirect sign diseases such as expansion of the lumen of the inner part of the auditory canal, radiography of the temporal bone may be prescribed. Audiometry is used to study hearing function, and electronystagmography is used to record eye movements.

Brain tomography (either computer or magnetic resonance imaging) allows you to visualize a tumor and determine its location and size.

Moreover, with a simple CT examination without using contrast agent Only tumors larger than 1 cm can be seen. Small tumors can only be seen with the introduction of contrast.

In patients diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, treatment is reduced to two main directions: conservative and surgical.

The first includes two methods: radiation therapy and expectant management, during which no therapeutic procedures does not apply at all.

The second includes surgical techniques for eliminating the pathology in question.

It is worth noting that in patients diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, the operation, the video of which is located below, was considered the standard of treatment for 50 years.

With expectant management, regular monitoring of the tumor, as well as the growth and dynamics of the manifestations of the disease, is carried out.

This method is usually used for neuroma in elderly people, when the disease is accidentally detected during MRI, when the tumor is small, and also when the clinical manifestations of the disease are mild.

In parallel, you can prescribe analgesics, diuretics, and anti-inflammatory drugs. If the neuroma grows sharply and quickly, then it is recommended to resort to its removal.

Treatment of acoustic neuroma without surgery: radiation therapy

Doctors call the main method of treating acoustic neuroma without surgery radiation therapy. One of its options is the “gamma knife”, which is gaining popularity. Using this method, ionizing radiation that is harmful to the tumor is delivered directly to the location of the tumor without any incisions.

First under the influence local anesthesia A stereotaxic frame is fixed on the patient's head. Then, a computer system for planning irradiation based on the data computed tomography an irradiation plan is created. The patient's head is fixed in a positioning system and a painless irradiation process is carried out, during which voice communication is maintained with the person, plus his condition is monitored via a video camera.

This method of therapy is also successfully used after removal of an acoustic neuroma. surgically in order to irradiate the remaining, deeply located formations that the surgeon could not reach.

The course of treatment with this method, depending on the size of the tumor, can last weeks, months and even years. The effectiveness of the irradiation is periodically monitored by computed tomography.

From side effects When using a gamma knife, pain in the area where the frame is fixed and nausea may occur. IN long term Facial paralysis and hearing problems may occur.

Surgery and consequences after removal of acoustic neuroma

The operation to remove the acoustic neuroma is performed under general anesthesia and aims not only to eliminate the tumor, but also to preserve the integrity of the nerve, as well as to prevent loss of hearing function.

One week before surgery surgical treatment it is necessary to stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other blood thinning drugs. 2 days before the intervention, the patient is administered glucocorticoids, and immediately before the operation, antibiotics are prescribed.

The duration of the procedure is usually 6-12 hours. In this case, the removal of the acoustic neuroma itself can be carried out different ways. The choice of a specific technique will depend on the size and location of the tumor.

When using the translabyrinthine approach, a hole is made in the skull behind the ear, then the mastoid process is removed. The main disadvantage of this technique is the fact that the operated ear will no longer hear.

With the retrosigmoid approach, the skull is opened from the side of the ear, but closer to the back of the head. Tumors of any size can be removed using this method. What is remarkable is that there is no loss of hearing.

Implementation surgical access through the middle fossa of the skull suggests an incision above the ear. In this case, the tumor is removed through the internal auditory canal.

The consequences of removal of an acoustic neuroma can be expressed by headaches, dry eyes, and numbness of the face. As a complication of the operation can be expected ear ringing and coordination disorders.

Moreover, as with other surgical interventions, the consequences of neuroma removal can be infectious processes and bleeding. We should also not forget about complications from the use of anesthesia. Plus, just like with radiosurgery, patients after surgery have a risk of developing facial paralysis and hearing loss.

Postoperative period after removal of acoustic neuroma

After removal of an acoustic neuroma in postoperative period are appointed medications, aimed at maintaining the functioning of both the whole organism as a whole and the nervous system in particular. Subsequently, the person is recommended medications to reduce the risk of relapse.

Rehabilitation usually includes recovery exercises motor activity facial muscles, as well as nutrition including vitamin C and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the exception of spicy, salty and fatty foods, coffee and chocolate.

All rehabilitation period can range from 6 to 12 months. However, over the next 5-7 years, a person should regularly undergo MRI to make sure that the acoustic neuroma has not formed again after surgery.

The disease, which is better known as acoustic neuroma, has alternative names: vestibular (or acoustic) schwannoma and acoustic neuroma. Symptoms in 95% of cases begin to manifest themselves in the form of progressive hearing loss, which in 60% is accompanied by noise or ringing in the ears. The difficulty in detecting symptoms of acoustic neuroma and treating the disease is that the slow growth of the tumor causes a long asymptomatic period, as well as a gradual onset clinical manifestations.

History of discovery and study

In 1777, Sandifort performed an autopsy, which resulted in a description of a dense benign tumor of the auditory nerve, which turned out to be fused at the exit site of the vestibulocochlear and facial nerves with the brain stem and spread into the auditory canal of the temporal bone. The researcher concluded that this formation was the cause of the patient's deafness during life.

In 1830, Charles Bell first made a lifetime diagnosis to a patient, which was confirmed after the patient's death. Bell focused on frequent headaches, deafness, loss of taste sensitivity, trigeminal neuralgia and some other signs and complaints of a patient who died a year after the examination.

First surgery to remove encapsulated formation cerebellopontine angle was produced in 1894 by Charles Ballance. Although the trigeminal and facial nerve structures were damaged during the operation and enucleation of the eye was required due to complications, medical intervention could be called successful, since after it the patient lived for more than 12 years.

The founder of neurosurgery in the USA, Harvey Cushing, made a difficult journey to reduce postoperative mortality. After the first operation in 1906, which ended in the death of the patient, the neurosurgeon initially refused complete removal neuromas, which reduced mortality to 40%. And later, with the improvement of the technique, postoperative mortality was reduced to 7.7%. However, of the 176 neuromas removed by Cushing, only 13 cases were total excision.

Since 1917, Cushing's follower Walter Dandy improved the technique by using a suboccipital approach to the posterior cranial fossa, which was made possible by penetration through part of the occipital bone. As a result, the fatality rate dropped to 2.4%. However, to this day surgical intervention Acoustic schwannoma is associated with serious risks associated with the health of patients.

Therefore, the introduction of radiosurgery by Lars Lexell has dramatically improved the quality of treatment for neuromas up to 3 cm in size.

Morphology, causes and mechanisms of acoustic disease

The neoplasm is described as round (or irregular shape) a lumpy, dense node that has a connecting capsule on the outside, and diffuse or local cystic cavities with brownish liquid on the inside. Depending on the blood supply, the color of the neoplasm can be:

pale pink with red areas (most often),
cyanotic (with venous stagnation),
brown-brown (with hemorrhages).

Consists of benign education from cells that form a structure like a palisade, between the elements of which there are areas that consist of fibers. As the tissue grows, it thickens and deposits of a pigment consisting of iron oxide (hemosiderin) appear.

The VIII pair of the cranial nerves includes the vestibular part (carrying information to the cerebral centers from the vestibular receptors) and the auditory part. In most cases, neuroma occurs in the vestibular part, compressing adjacent sections as it grows. Since a number of others pass next to the vestibulocochlear nerve (ternary, abducens, vagus, glossopharyngeal, facial), their compression is also reflected by characteristic signs.

The causes of this benign formation have not been fully determined.

A direct connection between unilateral neuromas and etiofactors cannot be traced. The bilateral form is consistently recorded in patients with genetically determined neurofibromatosis type II. There is a 50% risk of the disease in the offspring if the parents have a pathological gene.

There are three stages of vestibular schwannoma growth:

The first is characterized by formation sizes of up to 2-2.5 cm, resulting in hearing loss and vestibular disorders.
For the second – growth to a size of 3-3.5 cm (“ Walnut") with pressure on the brain stem. This contributes to nystagmus and imbalance.
The third stage occurs when the formation grows to the size of a chicken egg with symptoms of compression of cerebral structures, disturbances in swallowing and salivation, visual function. At this stage, irreversible changes occur in the brain tissue, and, due to the fact that the schwannoma becomes inoperable, death occurs.

In the typical development of the disease, hearing impairment (in 95% of patients) and dizziness (less often) are recorded as the first signs. Most often (in 60% of cases), acoustic effects in the form of noise, ringing or hum on the side of the tumor become the only symptom of the initial stages of the disease. It happens that hearing loss occurs noticeably and sharply. However, hearing impairment can manifest itself almost imperceptibly for the patient, and the noises subside with the appearance of other symptoms.

On initial stage in two out of three cases, vestibular disorders are also recorded. They appear:

dizziness, which in this disease manifests itself gradually with increasing intensity,
instability when turning the head and body,
nystagmus, which is more pronounced when looking towards the location of the tumor.

Most often, parts of the auditory and vestibular nerve structures are affected simultaneously. However, in in some cases Only one of the parts may be affected.

Sometimes vestibular crises are recorded, characterized by nausea and vomiting against a background of dizziness.

As the formation increases and damages nearby structures, signs of this damage are added to the symptoms. However, the size of the neoplasm does not always correspond to the severity of the symptoms. In addition to the size, the degree depends on the direction of growth and localization of the schwannoma. So when large sizes A schwannoma may present with milder symptoms than a small one, and vice versa.

Compression of the trigeminal nerve structures causes aching pain on the face and sensations of numbness and tingling on the part of the neoplasm. Such pain may fade or intensify, and then become permanent. Sometimes this pain is confused with dental pain or taken for trigeminal neuralgia. It happens that pain occurs in the occipital part on the side of the formation.

In parallel with these processes (sometimes a little later), symptoms associated with peripheral lesion facial and abducens nerves:

facial asymmetry due to paresis of facial muscles,
loss of taste on 2/3 of the front of the tongue,
disturbance of salivation,
convergent strabismus,
double vision with displacement (diplopia).

If a benign formation grows in the internal ear canal, then symptoms of compression may appear already in the first stages of the disease.

Further increase in formation leads to disruption of laryngeal functions, disorder of swallowing and pharyngeal reflex, loss of sensitivity in the rest of the tongue.

TO late symptoms diseases include increased intracranial pressure, resulting in impaired visual function, a total headache with concentration in the occipital and frontal regions. Systematic vomiting occurs.

On initial stage Its diseases should be separated from similar manifestations of labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, cochlear neuritis, and otosclerosis. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by an otoneurologist or joint reception from a neurologist and otolaryngologist. As necessary, a vestibulologist, ophthalmologist and sometimes a dentist are involved in the examination.

The examination begins with a check of the nervous system and hearing, and if a schwannoma is suspected, a series of diagnostic procedures, which make it possible to confirm suspicion with a high degree of probability:

Treatment with medical and traditional methods

The outcome of treatment depends on timely detection and size of the tumor. When neuroma is diagnosed in the first two stages, the prognosis is favorable. Radiosurgical removal of the tumor stops regrowth in 95% of cases. At the same time, the patient’s ability to work is restored, and he returns to his previous lifestyle. Open surgery has less favorable prognosis associated with the risk of damage to various nerve structures and/or hearing loss. In the third stage of the disease, the prognosis is unfavorable. Vital cerebral structures are at risk of compression. When treating acoustic neuroma with folk remedies, predictions are not made due to the lack of evidence of the effectiveness of folk methods.

Since each treatment method has both advantages and risks, they speak not of the only possible approach, but of possible tactics medical control and interventions.

Decision on surgical removal is accepted on the basis of a set of accounting factors, including: tumor size, patient’s age, hearing quality, and the degree of qualification of the surgeon. Depending on the routes of access to the tumor, the following types are distinguished:

Suboccipital. The operation is performed with a high chance of preserving hearing.
Translabyrinthine. There are several options, all of which are associated with high risk hearing damage.
The infratemporal route is used when removing small neuromas through the middle cranial fossa (MCF).

Traditional methods

In cases where it is not possible to perform surgery to inhibit the growth of the tumor and reduce its size, herbal therapy is used, which, however, cannot replace medical methods:

Infusion of white mistletoe. The shoots of the plant are crushed, 2 heaped teaspoons are poured into 2 cups of boiling water and infused overnight in a thermos. Drink 2 tablespoons three times a day in small sips before meals. The duration of the course is 23 days. In a week you can conduct the next course. ( Maximum amount courses with a one-week break - four).
Alcohol tincture of Japanese Sophora. Take 100 g of ground plant per liter of alcohol. Infusion occurs for 40 days with daily shaking (stirring). Next, the alcohol is filtered and the cake is squeezed out. Take 10 g three times a day before meals for 40 days. The break between courses is half a month.
Vodka with horse chestnut. The proportions and procedures are the same as in the previous case, however, the composition is infused for only 10 days and in a dark place. Drinks with a small amount water 10 drops three times a day. The 14-day course can be repeated throughout three months with a week's break.
Infusion of Prince of Siberia. A teaspoon of ground dried plant is infused in boiling water (2 cups) for an hour and, after straining, taken three times a day, a tablespoon for two months.
Infusion of common Echinops. For brewing you need crushed seeds at the rate of a teaspoon per 300 ml of water. The composition is simmered for 15 minutes over low heat and left for 2 hours before straining. Use 2 tablespoons four times a day.
Common comfrey lotions. The powdered roots of the plant are mixed in a ratio of 1:5 with pork fat. This mixture simmers for 5 hours in an oven preheated to 70C. Without allowing the mixture to cool, it must be strained and placed in glass jars, sealing them tightly, and then twice a day a layer of ointment applied to parchment paper should be used as local lotions (30 minutes/procedure). The monthly course of treatment alternates with a two-week pause.

Sources: medscape.com,

Neuroma is a benign tumor of nerve tissue. More often than others, one can observe a neuroma of the auditory nerve, which comes from its vestibular portion. The reasons remain unknown. Only cases with such hereditary disease, like neurofibromatosis, when multiple tumor-like formations of a benign nature—neurofibromas—appear on the patient’s body, as well as on the auditory nerves. In this case, the acoustic neuroma is always bilateral.

The incidence rate is 1-2 cases per 100 thousand population per year. Persons aged 30 to 40-45 years are affected, regardless of their type of activity, but women are 2-3 times more likely to get sick. It is reliably known that acoustic neuroma never occurs in children before puberty.

Symptoms of acoustic neuroma

Even though the tumor is benign in nature, which means it does not metastasize or spread to other organs and tissues, it is a rather formidable formation that can significantly reduce the patient’s quality of life due to painful clinical manifestations. In some cases, it is possible to become disabled or even fatal outcome. This is explained by the fact that the cranial cavity is closed, and a neuroma that increases in size can compress and push away the surrounding brain tissue, in which vital centers are located.

Symptoms of the disease can be divided into groups:

1. Damage to the cochlear portion(the one that matches inner ear and is responsible for hearing), then on the affected side the following is observed:

decrease in sound perception (usually gradual, less often instantaneous, sudden);
noise, ringing in one ear.

2. Damage to the vestibular portion or cerebellar coordination disorders:

nystagmus (spasmodic twitching of the eyeballs) directed towards the location of the tumor;
feeling of insecurity sudden movements head, which is sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting;
coordination disorders, especially on the affected side;
a change in gait when, due to instability, the patient is forced to walk with his legs wide apart.

3. Signs of the tumor affecting the brain stem. Hydrocephalus develops and increases (accumulation of fluid in the cranium) due to impaired outflow of cerebrospinal fluid, which further aggravates the compression. In this case, there arises headache, vision changes, disc swelling optic nerves, nausea, vomiting. IN severe cases breathing and heartbeat disturbances are possible.

4. Damage to nearby cranial nerves:

facial nerve: numbness of half the face, slight paresis of the facial muscles on the affected side;
trigeminal nerve: disorder taste sensations on the tongue, pain at the exit points of the nerve fiber;
abducens nerve: double vision, strabismus.

Manifestations are directly dependent on the size of the tumor, so there are three stages of acoustic neuroma:

1. Tumor up to 2.5 cm:

hearing loss or deafness in one ear;
dizziness;
Facial nerve paresis is possible.

2. The size of the neuroma is about 5 cm in diameter:

nystagmus;
lack of coordination;
change in gait.

3. Tumor with egg and more:

hydrocephalus with signs of intracranial hypertension;
agitation, aggression;
visual impairment;
headache;
nausea;
vomiting that does not bring relief;
instability heart rate, breathing, blood pressure.

Typically, symptoms increase gradually as the tumor grows. Patients with grade 3 have a poor prognosis and a high probability of death.

Treatment of neuroma

Patient management tactics are determined strictly individually for each specific case. Sometimes it comes to surgery. It all depends on the size of the tumor, the presence of symptoms, their severity and impact on the patient’s quality of life. The options may be the following:

1. Observation is carried out in the absence of clinical manifestations or when they are minimal. In this case, 1-2 times a year it is necessary to do an MRI of the brain and an audiogram. In some cases, the tumor does not grow at all throughout a person's life.

From medications possible purpose:

means to improve cerebral circulation(cavinton, sermion);
diuretics (mannitol, Lasix), hormones (hydrocotisone, prednisolone) for intracranial hypertension.

Traditional treatment of auditory neuroma

You should not self-medicate, traditional methods can only be used with the permission of a physician and under his supervision. However, it is herbal treatment that sometimes helps get rid of the disease. Applicable:

Horse chestnut. Place 50 g of raw materials in a light-proof glass container and pour in 500 ml of vodka. Leave for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally. Dose 10 drops three times a day, diluting 1-2 tbsp. spoons of water. Drink in a two-week course, then take a week off. There should be 5-6 such courses.
Mistletoe. 2 tbsp. Brew spoons of shoots with 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave in the thermos overnight. Strain and drink three times a day before meals. In the evening, prepare the infusion again the next day. Use for 3 weeks, take a week break. So drink 4 courses in a row.
Common mordovnik. Pour 1 teaspoon of seeds into a saucepan with a glass of water and boil for 10 minutes, cover with a towel and let stand until cool. Strain and use 2 tbsp. spoons three times a day after meals. Take 1 month.